Welcome Letter to Class of 2021 From Tamara Sinclair

Dear Class of 2021,

Congratulations! You are officially Taft alumni. Your class will forever be bonded by the unique experiences you shared during this chaotic and stressful period of a global pandemic and social/cultural turmoil. No Taftie will ever have a senior year quite like yours. You faced tremendous challenges and persevered through your hard-work, determination, and commitment to Taft and each other. Be proud of all that you’ve accomplished during your Taft career.

We are excited to welcome you to the Taft alumni community. This next phase of your Taft experience might be one of the most rewarding. As a Taft alumnus/a, you will stay connected to our school and fellow alumni through alumni events, reunions, career networking, Bulletin Class Notes, and much more. Some of your classmates (and Tafties in other classes) will be forever friends or even future friends. When you move to a new city, there will be Taft alumni willing to connect with you and help you. A fair number of Tafties even marry each other! So many different relationships are built with these people throughout your life journey. You will truly have a lifelong bond with our school and its alumni.

As a young grad, I was where you were -- excited for the next phase of life and to a certain extent, eager to leave the past behind, but reflecting now I want to remind you of the importance of giving back to Taft. More than that, I hope to encourage you to live Taft’s motto in the most direct way possible. When you reflect on your time here, I imagine you will remember the incredible education, teachers, opportunities, and lasting friendships you gained. By giving back, we not only show our Taft pride, but also ensures that future students have an even greater experience at Taft. I hope that you will join me and become a loyal Annual Fund supporter.

Wondering what the Annual Fund is? Annual Fund dollars support Taft’s operating budget and directly impact every single student on campus. It pays for things like your favorite faculty and staff members' salaries, feeds, club budgets, costumes for theatre productions, equipment for our athletic teams, science lab supplies, and so much more. The most important aspect of the Annual Fund is that every gift of any size really makes a difference! An easy way to start giving back is to set up a four-year pledge. By making this pledge, you do not have to make any donation right now; you are simply stating that you would like to make these donations over the next four years. You can initiate your pledge by completing the pledge card you received from your Class Agent and mailing it to the Alumni Office, or by using this form. The Alumni Office will send you reminders in case you forget. This is a simple way to start giving back to our alma mater and paying it forward to future Taft students.

I hope to meet many of you at future events – virtual or in-person. Once again, my sincere congratulations on your graduation, best of luck on your next adventures, and welcome to the alumni community! GO BIG RED!

Sincerely,

Tamara Sinclair ‘05
Annual Fund Co-Chair and Taft Trustee